Collapsible tent support



May 3 1927.

W. S. RYNVEARSON coLLAPsIBLE TENT SUPPORT lFiled Feb. 9, 1926 INVENTOR WITNESSES 5 Wgw aligne@ ATTORNEYS 3c tent poles ofy wood and it has been found' Patented May 3, 1927.

vlsretrr foreros.

WINIIELD s. RYNnARsoN, oF nnMoNns, WASHINGTON.

GOLLAPSIBLE TENT SUPPORT.

Application inea February sa,V 192s. semi No. 87,158.

This invention pertains tosfsupports for tents,J and refers more kparticularly toan improvement in the-ordinary form ofthreepole tent supports which includes a pair of uprights and a ridge pole.

T heaoutstanding object of the present invention is to provide a tent support which is: collapsible to occupy a minimum amount of spacel wheny not in.V use so thatthe same may be readily transported or stored and this without weakening the support or entailing an unnecessary length of time in setting,Y the same up for use.

rllhe invention further comprehends a4 tentsupporting meansincluding a ridge pole and upright support-ing poles, each constructed of joined sections capable of being readily associated or disassociated` and inwhich means is provided for guiding the user in properly associating the sect-ions When disjointed, the invention furthermorecontemplat-ing particularly in connection with the ridge pole, means for retaining the ridge pole sections in. iOiIlted associated relationy toy precludeseparation thereof when 1n use,

which means further functions to bind the sectionsin. compact bundles when the parts are in knockd'own condition;

As it is ordinarily desirable to` construct to be more practicalv to employ metal ferrules for telescopically associating the poles Whenimade-in sections, it: is obvious that in t-he ridge pole construction.V the metal fer-rules would contact with the canvas, and toA this end the invention contemplates: ai ridge; pole construction which While using metall ferrules, employs them in such a lmanneras toprevent their Contact with the canvas.

Other objects of the invention reside in` the simplicity ofthe construction and mode of use of the invention, the economy With` which the same may be manufactured and the generaleiiiciency: obtained. v n

lViththe above recited and other objects in view, reference is hadI tothe following specification` andV accompanying drawings inl which there is-exhibited oneexample on embodiinent` of the invention which. is in no way intended as a limitationupon the scope' ofthe appended claims asfiti is ito be clearly u nderstood that variations andlnodifications- Fig. 5 is aperspective. view of oneof'the 1 upright poles disconnected from the ridge pole and With the same partly disjointed or disassembled.; j l

Fig 6 is a longitudinal sectional view through and illustrating one ofthe ridge` pole joints.. Y

Referring to the drawingsby characters (if-reference, A designates generally a ridge pole, and B the upright supporting poles therefor, which poles B are associated in' the usualmanner by the engagement of. the upwardly projecting pins C on the upright poles through the vertical' receiving open:- ingsD inthe opposite ends ofi the ridge. pole. TheA invention pertains particularly to the' jointedv construction of` the ridgeV andA up.-V right poles A and B whereby the. saine may be disjointed and collapsed for the obvious purpose specified.

rIhe ridge pole A. consists of aplurality of sections preferably constructed' of wood, whichas illustratedby Way of example; comprisel a. pair of identically constructed outer sections 1.0, identically constructed. intermediate sections ll,v and a single central section 1Q. lThe outer sections 10 eachy consist preferably of a rectangular bar in the outer end of which; the vertical receiving opening D- is provided for thevupright pin C; the inner jend being bifurcated tofpr-ovide upper` and lower furcations l3and 14.the latter being of greater length than the former and of reduced"cross-sectional size.. The inter.- medi'ate sections 11 eachl consist of. a bar or length of wood of the same cross-sectional. contigui-ation andsize as the sections 10. andl formed, respectively, atthe outer` andinner ends with bifurcated terminals providing upper and lower furcations 15 andlG at: the outer ends andal? and-18 at the inner ends,.,the upper furcation 15 atthe outer endprojecting. beyondi the lower furcationi 16, which. latter fui-cation is of lesser cross-sectional size than the urcation and corresponds approximately to the cross-.sectional size of the furcations 111 ot' the sections 10. A metal ferrulc 19 surrounds the furcation 16, projects beyond the outer end thereof and beyond the outer end of the upper 'turcation 15, the portion et said errule 19 projecting beyond the outer end oi the furcation 16 a distance approximately equal to the length of the lower tuication 14, while the inner end of the tei-rule is secured to the turcation 16 in any suitable manner. The opposite inner biturcated end ol2 each intermediate section 11 including the -l'urcations 17 and 18, are ot ident-ical construction to the bifurcated inner end ot the outer sections 10, that is, the lower turc-ation 18 is 01"' greater length than the upper furcation 17 and ot reduced cross-sectional size. rl`lie center section 12 is provided at its opposite ends with identically constructed biturcated terminals including upper and lower ureations 2O and 21, the former being o' greater length than the latter and the latter being of reduced cross-sectional size with respect to the tta-nier, said lower icurcations 21 having fitted tliereover metal terrules 22 extending beyond the ends of the upper tui-cations and presenting terminals at the opposite ends oit the center section 12 identical with the construction of the outer terminals of the .intermediate sections. This construction of sociation or disjoining or disassociation of the sections which are constructed of Wood, by metal ferrules, but disposes said ferrules in such a position that the upper edge of the ridge pole over which the canvas is stretched is composed entirely ot wood so as to prevent contactot the canvas with the metal lierrules.

In order to provide means for guiding the user in properly associating or assembling the sections of the ridge pole and to prevent their entire separation while allowing for the disjointing thereof, a pair of flexible elements such as cords 23 are employed, each of which is connected at its outer end at 24, adjacent to the inner end and to the under side of the outer sections 10. The cords are tiaiiied through guide elements such as staples 25 on the under side of' the intermediate section aiid on the under side ot the center section, the inner end ot the cords being provided with a loop beyond the guide clement or staple which prevents the pulling ot the cord completely through the guide element on the center section and limits the relative separation ot the sections. Incidentally one of the staples 25 on the intermediate section and the staples 25 on the center section pass through the errules 19 and 22 respectively, and are anchored in the urcations Which they surround to constitute means for preventing displacement of the errules from said urcations.

ln order to provide retaining means for holding the adjacent sections of the ridge pole against disjoint-ing when they are telescopically iitted togetherI as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2, strap sections 27 are trained through the loops 2G at the inner ends of the cords 3, and through guides 28 on the side of the intermediate sections, said straps hav` ing a buckle 29 at one terminal and perforations 30 in the opposite terminal adapted to be .iiiterengaged to draw the cords L3 taut after the sections are jointed. Preferably the guides 28 are disposed on opposite sidesI ot the respective intermediate sections by which they are carried so that the straps will be consequently disposed on opposite sides ot' the ridge pole and in a noii-interlering relation when in use.

l/Vhen setting up the ridge pole when the sections are disjointed, the cords 23 constitute a guide means which insures a proper association of the sections with each other. The sections 18 at the inner ends of the intermediate sections 11 are telescopically engaged in the ierrules 22 until the ends ot the turcations 17 and 20 are brought into abutting relation. The lower l'urcations 14E of the outer sections 10 are inserted in the ferrules 19 until the inner ends of the upper furcations 13 abut with the outer ends ot' v D V'the upper furcations 15 of the intermediate I the ridge pole admits of the joining or assections 11. By then engaging the straps through the guides 28 and buckling the saine tight, it is obvious that the cords 23 are drawn taut to maintain the sections o the ridge pole against disjointing.

The upright poles B consist of upper, lower and central sections 31, 32 and 33, the uppermost section having at its upper end the upstanding or upwardly projecting pin C and formed at its lower end with a terminal 34 of reduced cross-sectional diameter adapted to be received or telescopically engaged in a metal errule 35 which is secured to and projects beyond the cross-sectional reduced upper terminal 36 at the upper end of the central .section 33 a distance approximately equal to the length of the reduced terminal 34 of said upper section. The central section 3 3 is provided with a lower terminal 37 of reduced cross-sectional size, which is designed to lit within the ferrule 38 formed on the lower .section 32 to correspond to the 'ferrule 35 on the central section, the lower end of the lower section 32 being provided Witli a-pointed terminal 39 adapted to be driven and anchored in the ground. In order to provide means for guiding the user in properly associating the sections of the upright poles and in order to prevent complete separation of the sections while permitting of suliicient relative movement to allow for disjointing, the upper lsection 31 of each pole B has secured thereto adjacent its lower end, at 40, one extremity of a ilexible element 41, such as a cord, the opposite end of which is trained through a guide 42 on the intermediate section and is knotted or otherwise formed with an enlargement 43 which prevents complete withdrawal of the cord therefrom while allowing for sufficient movement to disjoint. The Isections 32 and` 33 are similarly jointed and it is obvious that after the sections have been associated, the free ends of the cords may be tied, if desired, to hold and maintain the sections against ydisj ointing.

When the sections of the ridge pole and the upright poles are disjointed and arranged in side-by-side or parallel relation, it is obvious that the straps 27 may be employed as binders to encompass and hold all of the sections in a compact bundle for transportation or storage. While the ridge pole and uprights have been described as consisting of a certain number of sections, it is obvious that it is within the scope of the invention to increase or .decrease'the length of the poles by adding to or subtracting certain sections therefrom.

llVhat is claimed is:

1.- A tent supporting means including collapsible ridge and upright poles, said poles consisting of telescopically associated sections, mean-s for guiding the user in properly associating the sections, said means comprising flexible connections between the sections permitting of engagement and disengagement of the sections, and retaining means for holding the adjacent sections of the ridge pole against disengagement when telescopically fitted together, said retaining means consisting of elements connected with the guiding means and keepers with which the elements coact to effect the retention of the guiding means in taut condition` 2. A tent supporting means including a rid e pole and upright poles, the ridge pole inc uding a plurality of sections having the adjacent ends bifureated vertically, the lower furcations being telescopically jointed `and the upper furcations adapted for abutting relation.

' 3. A tent supportingl means including a ridge pole and upright poles, the ridge pole including a plurality of sections having the adjacent ends bifurcatcdvertically, the lower furcations being telescopically jointed and the upper turca-tions adapted for abutting relation, and means for guiding the user in properly associating the sections, consisting ot' flexible elements secured to the outer sections, guide eyes onl the remaining sections through which the flexible elements are y trained and enlargements on the inner ends of the flexible elements for permitting of disjointing of the sections while preventing their complete separation. s

4. A tent supporting means including a ridge pole and upright poles, the ridge pole including a plurality of sections having the adjacent ends bifurcated vertically, the lower furcations being telescopically jointed and the upper urcations adapted for abutting relation, means for guiding the user in properly associating the sections, consisting of flexible elements secured to the outer sections, guide eyes on the remaining sections through which the flexible elements are ytrained and enlargements on the inner ends of the exible elements for permitting of disjointing of the sectionsV while preventing their complete separation, and retaining means for holding the sections in jointed relation connected with the inner ends oi the exible elements and engageable in keepers on the sides of certain of said sec tions. v

VVINFIELD S. RYNEARSON, 

